My mate is wanting to replace his sliding patio door set with a plastic
framed French window arrangement (with filler panes each side).

A guy who gave a quote suggested: "The way the bricks are laid above our
window (soldiers fashion -long edge vertical) and the horiz pointing
underneath not continuous with nearest level course of bricks, points to no
lintel ."

The house is early '80's. The opening is about 8ft. Is the expanation
correct? How can it be easily proven as it makes about £250 difference to
the quote. Would such an opening have no lintel? Could the soldier brick
just be a styling feature?